Welding power supplies or systems are available for a wide variety of processes, and with a wide variety of sophistication. Welding-type power supply or system, as used herein, includes power supplies or systems that provide welding, cutting or heating power, and may include a controller, switches, etc. Traditionally, a good weld required an experienced welder, not only to properly execute the weld, but to properly select operating parameters (such as output voltage, current, power, pulse width, wire feed speed, etc.)
Now, robots are available that execute the weld. Also, pre-determined welding programs that set operating parameters are available. These may be input to a welding-type system by a user using a user-interface such as a keypad, touch screen, control knobs, etc. Also, programs can be stored as application software and transferred to the welding-type system (where they are usually stored in non-volatile memory that is part of a controller). Application software, as used herein, includes software and data that controls a welding system before, during or after a weld, such as setting operating parameters, setpoints, etc.
It may be desirable to change application data because of improvements in the program, or improvements in the data, or because the welding-type system is used for a new or different application. Also, it may be desirable to change application software for multiple components of a welding-type system, such as the power supply, wire feeder, and robot interface.
The process of updating application software can be tedious—either entering the information through a serial interface board-by-board, or replacing a component such as an eprom (by removing the eprom and reprogramming it). Both of these procedures require removing the housing, which can be difficult.
Accordingly, a method and apparatus for updating software in a welding-type system that is easy, fast and economical. Additionally, the method and apparatus would preferably be useful over a network, so multiple components could be updated.